30 MANAGEMENT OF FLOCK. 



the loss of several ewes. Just take away any quite loose wool 

 near the teats, which may possibly get into the lamb's mouth and 

 so cause death by swallowing, but do not interfere with Nature's 

 protection to the udder until warm weather is assured. 



MARKING THE LAMBS. 



When the lambs are a few days old say at the end of every 

 week, all the new comers should be ear-marked according to 

 the plan the Breeder decides to adopt. 



A very simple plan is to number the lambs with the same 

 numbers as their dams, which enables one to extract the Pedigree 

 by a reference to the mating column in the Private Flock Book, 

 and if tattooing is adopted the several letters of the alphabet 

 could be used to indicate the year of birth. For example a lamb 

 from No. I ewe could be tattoed " I A," to indicate a lamb from 

 ewe No. I in 1898, and in 1899 a lamb from the same ewe should 

 be marked " I B." Of course the letters to denote the years 

 should be recorded in the Flock Book. 



Instead of at once marking the lambs permanently, it is perhaps 

 better to have them marked every few days to correspond with 

 their dams, with iron numbers dipped in red or blue paint to 

 which a certain amount of Linseed Oil and Turpentine is added, 

 and which dries rapidly and remains readable for a considerable 

 period. This the shepherd can easily do with a little assistance, 

 and later on the requisite permanent numbering can be carried 

 out by the breeder. The simpler plan is however explained on 

 page ii, and the Illustrations of same on pages 12, 13, 14, 15. 



It is best to commence with the No. I in both sexes. This 

 style of numbering does away with the necessity of a memo- 

 randum book, to keep a record until properly entered up. 



CASTRATION OF LAMBS. 



This, in the case of a pedigree flock, is not recommended, as 

 lambs alter so much, that possibly one of the best may be 

 sacrificed to the butcher, whereas, if the ram lambs are kept in a 



